Update Thursday 4pm: The National Hurricane Center has identified a second area of interest in the Atlantic. Invest 96 is located 1700 miles east-southeast of the LeeWard Islands. This tropical wave is further west, or closer to North America, than Invest 97, which was identified on Wednesday. Invest 97 has been given a "low" chance for development over the next five days. It is moving quickly west at 30 mph.

Original Post Wednesday Evening: The Atlantic Basin has been quiet for more than a month. Considering how active the season started, this may seem like a surprise. However, historically speaking, a busy start to the season doesn’t necessarily correlate with an active year overall. Climatology suggests the busiest months of the hurricane season are August, September and October. And seemingly right on cue, a tropical wave near the west coast of Africa is catching our eye.

The National Hurricane Center has identified an area of disturbed weather 550 miles southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands for potential development, giving it a “medium chance” in the next five days. According to most reliable forecast models now labeling this "Invest 96", environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for some development through the weekend as the wave moves west. If a tropical storm were to develop, the next name on the 2016 list would be Earl. There is currently no threat to the State of Florida or the United States from the tropics over the next five to seven days.

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